Taishan Dong, a 6-11 Chinese heavyweight, could be boxing’s next big thing

Taishan Dong works with coach John Bray at the Glendale Fighting Club in Glendale on Tuesday. At 6-foot-11 and 285 pounds, Dong will be making his pro boxing debut Friday at the Longshoremen’s Hall in San Francisco. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)

Yet in a span of seven months, those first steps into George Gallegos’ law firm in Monterey Park will have led to a giant stride into a boxing ring in San Francisco.

The journey is as intriguing as the thought of 6-foot-11, 285-pound Chinese heavyweight Taishan Dong making his professional boxing debut Friday night in a four-round bout against Ronny Hale (2-5) at Longshoremen’s Hall on Fisherman’s Wharf.

Dong, who is being dubbed “The Great Wall,” will appear first on the seven-fight card, which will be televised at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.

The first time Dong walked through his office door, Gallegos said he felt like a little kid.

“It felt like a big superhero came in. I think my mouth really dropped. It was incredible,” said Gallegos, who has been working as an attorney within in the Chinese community for 12 years. “He was wearing a tank top, so he looked big. Just his height, his demeanor. He’s a very powerful presence. I was shocked.”

Dong, who was working out every day at a nearby gym, had stopped by in December to ask some legal questions. When Dong mentioned being interested in boxing, Gallegos went from a longtime fan of the sport and lawyer who had represented some boxers to a manager representing an intriguing heavyweight prospect.

“We’ve been putting in a lot of work. He’s been putting in a lot work. And we’re going to start this journey,” Gallegos said.

Born Dong Jian Jun on May 18, 1988 in the northwest province of Gansu, China, Dong derived his name from when he climbed Mount Taishan, one of five sacred Taoist mountains in China.

“When I reached the highest point, to look down,” he said. “That kind of phenomenal feeling. That’s how I liked the name.”

With his size, some would argue Dong belongs on a basketball court. Perhaps he could become a star like 7-foot-5 countryman Yao Ming, whom he has met once.

“I was 15 when I was put into basketball,” said Dong, 26, via interpreter Ruby Chan during an interview at Glendale Fighting Club, where Dong trains.

“I played one year because I don’t quite understand what is basketball at the time.”

Dong ventured into wrestling, kung fu and kickboxing. His biggest kickboxing victory came in February 2013 with a first-round knockout of former combat sports legend Bob Sapp, whose best days were clearly behind him based on his 1-13 record since 2005.

Boxing, however, seemed simpler.

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“It’s more fun in boxing. I can concentrate by looking at the opponent and concentrate on my upper body,” said Dong, who lives in Glendale with his wife and 4 1/2 month-old daughter. “I don’t have to care about my lower part.”

Despite Dong’s experience in combat sports, his boxing skills were raw. Gallegos eschewed some of the top names recommended, instead opting for a trainer who understood size and could invest the individual time.

Enter John Bray, a trainer and former heavyweight who had sparred with Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.

When told there was a 300-pound 7-footer for him to train, Bray chuckled. When Dong met him in February, Bray was in awe.

“The kid’s a freak of nature all the way around. Physically, mentally, he just grasps things,” said Bray, who has had to demonstrate instructions in order to get past the language barrier.

Proper footwork. Hand position. Jabs. A one-two combo. How to use his 84-inch reach to his advantage.

Dong had to master the basics, as well as how to utilize his impressive strength.

Power doesn’t come from just muscles, Bray notes. It’s shifting, turning, using proper form and techniques.

And Dong does not lack for power.

“Oh my God, he blows my shoulders out every day,” said Bray, who added Tyson was the strongest puncher he’d felt until Dong came along.

Bray made Gallegos seek out the biggest mitts and pads, and they still don’t absorb all the impact. Bray’s bruised forearms are proof.

Dong usually wears custom-made 20- or 22-ounce gloves when training — in addition to a custom-made cup and mouthguard — because they aren’t sold big enough for his gargantuan size.

But for fight week, Dong has to become accustomed to the 10-ounce gloves he’ll wear Friday night. On the receiving end is Bray, who compared the cushioned blows with being speared by a baseball bat.

“I can’t imagine anybody being able to stand with Taishan. It’ll be like this, he’s gonna hit somebody to the arm and knock the wind out of them. It’s gonna go right through them,” he said. “All his weight just pushing off that back foot, he’s just throwing a jab. He’s pushing off so much it’s like a battering ram.”

Robert Diaz, matchmaker and talent scout for Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, took one look at Dong in the ring and quickly reached out to Gallegos to sign the skyscraper.

Gallegos and Bray say the progress has been remarkable, each aware Dong leaves the gym and keeps working in front of the mirror at home.

“His work ethic is phenomenal. He’s teachable. He wants to learn. He’s aggressive,” Gallegos said. “I mean, really, everything you could ask for. Just need to teach him English. That’s the last thing.”

Dong says he and his wife go out shopping and take their daughter to the playground. He gets stares and stopped a lot, he said, many people thinking he’s a movie star.

For now, the plan is to keep him active, fighting and developing.

Who knows? Dong says maybe some day he will be seen in China as the Yao Ming of boxing.

His focus, though, is intently on Friday night.

“I never expect that it would be so soon,” Dong said. “When I first came to the States, what was the chance and how can I really get into the community and ... the sport at this level? Yes, I’m very excited.”